Traction-engine.



No. 644,6!0. Patented Mar. 6, |900. R. 8|, l. W. KNIGHT.

TRACTIN ENGINE.

(Application led Apr. 8. 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Shaeis-Sheet l.

Tn: Nonms PETERS co, surnomme., WASHINGTON. u c.

. Patented Mar. 6, |900. R. & l. W. KNIGHT.

TRACTION ENGINE.

V(Amlimein med Apr. B, 1899.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Shen 2.

m: Nonms PETERS co. PHoToumo.. vv/slwmrouA D. r..

NTTED STATES PATENT Fisica,

RILEY KNIGHT AND IRA WELLS-KNIGHT, OF MOSCOW, IDAHO.

TRACTlON-NGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,610, dated March 6, 1900.

Application filed April S, 1899. Serial No. 712,308. (No model.)

To allwwm it may concern.-

WnLLs KNIGHT, citizens of the United States, residing at Moscow, in the county of Latah and State of Idaho, have invented a new and` useful Traction-Engine, of which the followlng is a specification. y

Our invention relates to traction-engines,

' and particularly to a steering mechanism for traction-engines and similar vehicles; and the object in view is to provide a steering mechanism wherein the steering-wheel may be turned to occupy any desired position with relation to the previous direction of movement of the vehicle, whereby short turns may be made, and, furthermore, to provide means for facilitating the manual positioning of the steeringwheel.

Afurther object of our invention is to provide a steering mechanism wherein the steering-wheel may be utilized, either solely or in connection with other means, as the traction- Wheel.

Further objects and advantagesof thisinvention will appear in the following description,and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a steering mechanism constructed in operative position to a vehicle of a construction commonly employed for traction purposes. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail transverse section taken through the gearing at the top of the machine.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the construction illustrated the vehicle is provided with a frame, including a platform or bed 10, and supporting-wheels 11, mounted upon the spindle portions of a fixed axle and adapted either for traction purposes, when so desired, or simply for supporting a portion of the Weight of the'frame. Mounted upon this frame for revoluble movement is a turn-table 12, arranged in an opening of the platform and provided with suitable antifriction-bearing devices, such as rollers 13. This turntable is provided with bearings 14, in which is mounted the spindle or shaft 15 of the steer- Be 1t known that we, RILEY KNIGHT and IRA ing-Wheel 16, said steering-wheel being arranged in a diametrical slot or opening of the turn-table. The above-mentioned antifriction-bearing devices are interposed in the construction illustrated between the periphery of the turn-table and the adjacent portions of the frame; but the front of the frame is supported by the front or steering wheel through said turn-table, the weight of the adjacent portion of the frame being transferred to the turn-table through a. spider 17, having a plurality of legs 17 a, which straddle the steering-wheel, two being shown arranged on each side thereof, and are bolted or otherwise securely fastened to the turn-table. These legs are united at their upper ends to a central stem 1S, which is arranged directly over the steering-wheel and which has at the upper end an antifriction-bearing in a yoke 19, risingY from thefront portion of the vehicleframe, as from the platform 10. In the construction illustrated'this yoke is of looped shape, with va horizontal cross-bar at its top and downwardly-extending legs, which are bolted to the platform, and preferably the bearing at the upper end of the stem is of ball-and-socket construction, suitable antifriction devices being employed to reduce to the minimum the effort necessary upon the the lever at the desired adjustment, and hence with the steering-wheel in the desired position with relation to the planes of the rear supporting-wheels. Thus it will be seen that the yoke 19, which is arched to extend over thesteering-Wheel, carries the bearing in which the spindle ofthe turn-table is mounted, and pressure is communicated through this bearing to the spindle and the turn-table. Oscillatory movement of the turn-table is pre- IOO vented by the antifriction-bearing devices interposed between the same and the adjacent portions of the supporting-frame, and we have found in practice that by reason of this single bearing for the turn-table the steering-wheel may be adjusted manually with comparatively little effort upon the part of the operator and that owing to the scope of movement of the steering or controlling lever a machine provided with a steering device embodying our invention may be caused to make abrupt turns as effectively as when drawn by horses.

The rack or segment 23 is supported by standards 25, rising from the platform or supporting-frame of the vehicle; but it will be understood that any other suitable means may be employed for this purpose.

lVhen, as in connection with traction-engines for agricultural purposes, it is desirable to utilize the steering-wheel as a tractionwheel either solely or as an auxiliary to the main or driving wheels, we provide the yoke 19 with transversely-alined bearings 26, in which is mounted a line or drive shaft 27, having a sprocket or other gear wheel 28, by which motion may be communicated to the shaft from the traction-engine or other source of energy. From this shaft motion is communicated through dierential gearing 29 to pinions 30 and 3l, carried, respectively, by driving-spindles 32 and 33, mounted, preferably, in a vertical position upon the yoke 19, and said driving-spindles are connected by tumbling-rods 3l and 35 with the spindles 36 and 37 of driven pinions 38 and 39, which mesh, respectively, with annular gears 40 and 4l, fixed to the shaft of the steeringwheel. Said gears may be fixed to the sides, respectively,of said wheel. The driven spindles 36 and 37 are mounted in suitable structures carried by the turn-table and in the construction illustrated comprising a standard 42 and a stirrup 43, and the tumblingrods are provided with terminal knucklejoint connections, respectively, with the driving and driven spindles, whereby motion may be communicated to the driven spindles in any position of the steeringwheel. Said tumbling-rods are of extensible construction and preferably comprise telescoping outer and inner members fitted together for relative longitudinal movement and held from independent revoluble movement.

The above-described driving mechanism adds to the facility with which a vehicle provided with the improved steering mechanism minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim isl. The combination with a vehicle having a supporting-frame, of a fixed yoke orsupport mounted on said frame, a turn-table mounted for revoluble movementin an openingin said frame, a steering-wheel carried by the turntable, a spider fixed to the turn-table and having a central spindle stepped at its upper end in a bearing on said yoke or support, said spindle being arranged directly over the steering-wheel, and means for actuating the turn-tableto vary the position of the steeringwheel, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a vehicle-wheel having a supporting-frame, of a fixed yoke or support mounted on said frame, a turn-table mounted for revoluble movement in an opening in said frame, antifriction-bearings arranged between the turn-table and the frame, a steering-wheel carried by the turn-table, a spider fixed to the turn-table and having a central spindle,A a ball-and-socket connection between the upper end of the spindle and the yoke or support, and means for communicating rotary motion to the turn-table, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a vehicle having a frame and supporting-wheels, of a fixed yoke supported by said frame, a turn-table mounted for revoluble movement in an opening in said frame, a spider fixed to the turntable and having a central spindle stepped at its upper end in a bearing on said yoke, a steering-wheel mounted upon the turn-table, a steering-level' fixed to the spindle of said yoke, and a rack traversed by the steeringlever, said lever having a hand-latch, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with a vehicle having a frame and supporting-wheels, of a turn-table, a steering-wheel mounted upon the turntable, means for actuating the turn-table to angularly vary the position of the steeringwheel with relation to the length of the vehicle, driving mechanism mounted upon the frame, and fiexible connections between the driving mechanism and the steering-wheel for communicating revoluble movement to the latter, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a vehicle having a frame and supporting-Wheels, of a turn-table, a steering-wheel mounted upon the turntable, means for actuating the turn-table to angularly vary the position of the steeringwheel with relation to the length of the vehicle, driving mechanism mounted upon the frame, and flexible connections, including tumbling-rods, between the driving mechanism and said steering-wheel, for communicating rotary motion to the latter, substantially as specified.

IOO

IIO

6. The combination with a -vehicle having a frame and supporting-Wheels, of a turn-table, a steering-Wheel mounted upon the turntable and having side gears,-means for angularly varying the position of the turn-table with relation to the length of the vehicle, driving mechanism including driving-spindles arranged at opposite sides of the axis of movement of the turn-table, driven pinions mounted upon the turn-table and meshing with said side gears of the steering-Wheel, and tumbling-rods connecting said driving-spindles with the driven pinions, substantially as speciiied.

7. The combination with-a vehicle having a frame and supporting-Wheels, of a turn-table, a steering-Wheel mounted upon the turntable and having side gears, means for angularly varying the position of the turn-table With relation to the length of the vehicle, driving mechanism including driving-spindles arranged at opposite sides of the axis of movement of the turn-table, driven pinions mounted upon the turn-table and meshing with said side gears of the steering-Wheel7 and extensible tumbling rods connecting said driving-spindles with the driven pinions, substantially as speciiied.

8. The combination with a vehicle having a frame and supporting-Wheels, of a turn-table, a steering-Wheel mounted upon the turntable and having side gears, means for angularly varying the position of the turn-table With relation to the length of the vehicle, driving mechanism, consisting of a drivingshaft, driving-spindles, and differential gearing for communicating motion from the driving-shaft to the driving-spindles, driven pinions mounted upon the turn-table and meshing with said side gears on the steering-Wheel, and flexible connections between the drivingspindles and the driven pinions, substantially as specified.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own We have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

RILEY KNIGHT. IRA WELLS KNIGHT.

Witnesses:

W. L. PAYNE, B. L. JENKINS. 

